Big companies Jan 10, 2009
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Big Three US automakers, and in my internet travels I've found a few more "Big" companies. 

Big Three automakers - Chrysler, Ford, GM
Big Four record labels - EMI, Sony BMG, Universal, Warner
Big Four TV networks - ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC
Big Four cell providers - AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon
Big Six movie studios - Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner #business
Efficiency of school vs. work Jan 9, 2009
One definition of efficiency is the ratio of output to input.  It occurred to me the other day that there was a huge shift in my efficiency between college and getting a job.  Not efficiency in terms of how much stuff I accomplished, but efficiency in terms of output vs. input, whether it involved time, money, happiness, stress, energy, etc. 

I worked hard in college.  I inputted tons of time, immeasurable stress, incalculable energy, unfathomable amounts of money (mostly not my own), and sacrificed much in terms of happiness, peace, and rest.  But the results were comparatively minimal, consisting of simple numerical estimations of my mental grasp of specific topics.  Sometimes those numbers would be high, sometimes low.  There was certainly no correlation between input and output.  But I can easily say that the overall efficiency of the system (school) was much less than 1.  In other words, I put in way more than I got out.  Sure I got a degree, which enabled me to get a job, etc., etc., but still, it was a very inefficient process. 

During and after college, I had a few jobs.  Sometimes the jobs were boring and slow, sometimes fast and mildly stressful.  But the output was different:  I got paid money instead of grades.  Money can buy you health, happiness, and love, and don't let anyone tell you different (but you shouldn't depend on it for those things).  Even when I wasn't making much money, the output was still significantly greater than the input, making the efficiency much greater than 1.  And even after working for a few years and becoming cynical about money and work and life, the efficiency of working is still unbelievably greater than the efficiency of going to school. 

I remember talking to a woman at church when I was in college, and when I told her I was a student, she told me how much she wished she was back in college with no worries and no responsibilities, since life after college is full of stress and work and problems.  It was a Sunday evening, which meant I had just spent several hours doing schoolwork, and I'd quickly leave church after the service and continuing doing schoolwork until the wee hours of the morning.  I remember thinking that I couldn't imagine work ever being harder than school.  And so far, it hasn't been.  As long as the efficiency is greater than 1, it's all good. #education
Election playoffs (3) Jan 8, 2009
Wait, did I miss the election?  Aw, shoot.  Anyway, I think it would be cool if there was a playoff-like bracket system to determine the president.  It would be a series of smaller elections that would whittle down the candidates to a Sweet Sixteen, an Elite Eight, a Final Four, then a championship that we could all watch on primetime TV, sponsored by GM and Cialis.  That way we wouldn't end up being forced to choose the least worst of the goons that choose to run for president. #politics
Browsing vs. searching (2) Jan 7, 2009
I despise the company or person who thinks I appreciate it when I come home from work to find a brand new phone book sitting in my driveway.  I haven't used a phone book since I discovered the internet over a decade ago.  Unlike a catalog, which one might use to peruse objects sold by a company, a phone book (and any other listing of information, e.g. that huge, stupid catalog of physicians sent to me by my former health insurance provider) is meant to be searched, which is exactly why the internet was invented in the first place.  Catalogs are meant for browsing, and even in a wired society, they can still serve a purpose (i.e. if the company doesn't have any stores in your area and their website is stupid or ugly).  But for the act of searching for information, the internet is the answer, not some frequently-outdated, impossible-to-opt-out-of, archaic book of papers. #technology
Gran Torino pre-review Jan 7, 2009
I'm not a Clint Eastwood fan, but from what I can deduce from the previews I've seen, his new movie Gran Torino is about him constantly speaking in an over-the-top ridiculously raspy, deep voice and pointing guns at, and perhaps shooting, teenage gang members.  It looks like probably the worst movie ever. #entertainment
Wrong answer Jan 6, 2009
Some people have a tendency to give wrong answers in casual conversation.  Not like
Person 1:  Who did you vote for?
Person 2:  John McCain.
Person 1:  Wrong answer!
More like
Person 1:  Hey, what's new?
Person 2:  Pretty good.
Person 1:  Wrong answer.
It usually happens because of a miscommunication or a misunderstanding.  But sometimes it's also because people get nervous in social situations.  For me, it only happens when I talk to specific people, who, for whatever reason, make me nervous.  I keep seeing this one guy in a social setting (I don't know how to make that sound less gay) and I keep saying the wrong things.  This was our most recent conversation: 
Guy:  Hey Dave, how was your holiday?
Me:  Hey, you too.
I thought he said, "Have a good holiday."  It was more of a conversation-in-passing, and once I realized my answer didn't match up with his question, it was too late to go back to him and say, "I misheard what you said.  My holiday was great.  How was yours?"  Sometimes you just need to give the wrong answer and move on. #psychology
Less vs. fewer Jan 6, 2009
The checkout lines that say "10 items or less" are grammatically incorrect, and the people who know of this like to point it out with much grandeur and pomp.  Less should be used with things you measure (less coffee, less talking, less annoying) while fewer should be used with things you can count (fewer items, fewer baby-eaters, fewer exploding M&M's).  Oddly enough, the opposite of both less and fewer is more, thus adding to the confusion. #language
Chinese food eating disorder (5) Jan 5, 2009
Similar to my problem with barbecued pork, I've actually developed a dislike for Chinese food because every time I eat it, I lose control and overeat, making me feel like I could pop.  Oh it's a problem. #food
Organic Jan 5, 2009
These days, the word organic has some very specific connotations concerning health and the environment, while up until about 2004, it simply meant carbon-based. #language
Recession vs. depression Jan 3, 2009
About.com says a recession is when there's a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters.  A depression is when the GDP declines by more than 10 percent. 

Both definitions are up for debate, but one rule of thumb is that people can't decide when we're in a recession or not, but nobody questions when it's a depression.  In other words, if you're eating meals at food kitchens, we're probably in a depression.  If not, it's probably a recession. #money